HIST 2264: America in the 1960's

This course surveys the political, social, and cultural history of the United States over the long Sixties (mid-1950s to mid-1970s). Students will study source materials and employ historical interpretations to examine the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War and anti-war movement, identity politics, cultural “revolutions,” American liberalism, and American conservatism. They will also explore how the intersections of race, class, gender, ethnicity, and age shaped individual experiences of the 1960s.

Why take it?

This course prepares students to thoughtfully confront challenges facing the United States today, such as the role of state and Executive power, civil rights, popular protest and activism, and war. It introduces and reinforces the problems, perspectives, and skills of the discipline through exploration of this critical period in American history, when Americans probed the limits of national sovereignty, state violence, human rights, democracy, and the role of the United States in the world. This course examines what changed and what did not, asks and answers questions about why things occurred the way they did, and discusses the implications of this era of seemingly revolutionary change on the present day. Student will also develop a range of important skills – critical thinking, writing, ethical reasoning, and intercultural competence – that will serve students well throughout their college careers and beyond.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites for this course.

This course fulfills Pathways requirements in Critical Thinking in the Humanities, Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States, and Ethical Reasoning.